Table 2.

Latin American and Caribbean Food Security Scale (ELCSA).¹

Questions referring to the household or adults living in the household 2 During the last 3 months, because of lack of money or other resources…

1 Were you worried about running out of food?

2 Did your household run out of food at any time?

3 Was your household unable to eat a healthy and nutritious diet?

4 Did you or anybody else in your household usually have to eat the same kinds of foods almost every day?

5 Did any day, you or any other adult in your home skip breakfast, lunch, or dinner?

6 Did any adult in your home eat less food than what you think s/he needed because there was not enough food?

7 Was there any day when you or any other adult in your home felt hungry but did not eat because there was not enough food?

8 Was there any day when you or any other adult in your home did not eat for a whole day or just ate once during the day because there was not enough food during the last 3 months?

Questions for households with minors under 18 years of age 2 During the last 3 months, because of lack of money or other resources…

9 Did any children/youth in your household unable to consume a healthy and nutritious diet?

10 Did any children/youth in your household usually have to eat the same kinds of foods almost every day?

11 Did any child/youth in your household eat less food than what s/he needs because there was not enough food?

13 Did any day you have to reduce the amount of food served to children/youth in your household?

14 Was there any day when any child/youth in your household felt hungry but could not be fed because there was not enough food?

15 Was there any day when any child/youth in your household did not eat for a whole day or just ate once during the day because there was not enough food?

¹Adapted from Comité Científico de la ELCSA (9). Escala Latinoamericana Y Caribeña De Seguridad Alimentaria (ELCSA): Manual De Uso y Aplicaciones. FAO, Santiago, Chile. Available from http://www.fao.org/3/i3065s/i3065s.pdf. ²Response options: Yes, No, Do not Know, Refuse. An additive score is computed based on the number of questions affirmed, Cutoff points for households with children/youth: ‘household food secure’ (score = 0), ‘mild household food insecurity (score = 1–5), ‘moderate household food insecurity’ (score = 6–10), ‘severe household food insecurity’ (score = 11–15). Cutt-off points for households with members above the age of 18: ‘household food secure’ (score = 0), ‘mild household food insecurity’ (score = 1–3), ‘moderate household food insecurity’ (score = 4–6), ‘severe household food insecurity’ (score = 7–8).